Olan was born and raised in Florida. By the age of twelve Olan showed an aptitude for drawing.
After serving four years in the military Olan attended the Ringling School of Art & Design in Sarasota, Florida in 1974. While there he attended classes in art history, drawing, live figure drawing, figure modeling in clay, color and design and perspective.
Since that time, Olan has continued to advance his knowledge and skill level with self study.
